Why Buying a Home Before My Wedding was the Best Decision

It's not unheard of today but my husband and I bought a house together before we got married. In fact, we weren't even engaged when we decided to buy our house, and it was the best decision we could have made. My (then) boyfriend and I decided to buy a house together in the spring of 2016. We had been together for five years at that point and we knew whatever our next steps were they were going to be together. We knew we didn't want neighbors above us anymore, we wanted a yard to host cookouts for our friends, and we wanted to be able to call somewhere home for longer than a 12 month lease. It wasn't a question for either of us if we were going to be together for the foreseeable future, the question was which step was the right one for us to make at the moment.Now, unbeknownst to me my lovely boyfriend had already purchased an engagement ring, so the discussions were probably slightly different in his head than they were in mine. He KNEW we were getting married and I didn't. And every person I told we were buying a house together asked me "Are you sure you want to buy a house with a man you aren't even engaged to yet?" and my answer was always "Yes," because I knew that was the right decision for us.I won't lie, I was mentally patting myself on the back after our wedding for following my heart and buying a house with my boyfriend. You want to know why?

1. We knew exactly what we needed to add to our wedding registry because we were already living in our home.

2. We enjoyed our honeymoon because we knew the only thing waiting at home to be unpacked were wedding gifts and sweet cards from friends and family.

3. We get to enjoy the first month of being married without the added stress of finding a home and coordinating a move.

Our decision to buy a house before marriage isn't an uncommon one among our Millennial age group, but the decision can still receive some pushback from older agents, loan officers, and family members. Sadly, I've heard a few stories from friends or clients about feeling judged by their loan officer because they aren't married yet or their agent asking "Don't you want to enjoy that first big purchase as a married couple?" In my opinion, the purchase of your home is special because it's between the two of you, not because you now have the title of husband and wife. If it feels right for you and your significant other, then make your move. Buying a home together is a wonderful milestone that should be celebrated!